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1937 Bugatti Type 57S

Ettore Bugatti built automobiles of uncompromised elegance and sporting competence from 1911 to 1939. He was a mildly eccentric individual and an utterly brilliant Italian engineer; his automobiles were temperamental, technically complex, and very expensive.

Though he clung to mechanical brakes, he experimented with aerodynamics and the use of lightweight metals such as magnesium. During the early 1930s, as the luxury automobile market dwindled, Ettore and his son Jean went to the extreme by producing a very special model - the Type 57.

The Type 57 was introduced in 1934 and was the first new model built under Jean Bugatti's direction and incorporated numerous new features. The dual overhead camshaft eight-cylinder engine had dimensions of 72x100mm resulting in a 3,257cc displacement, with a five-main bearing crankshaft. The camshafts were motivated by helical-tooth gears at the engine's rear with another crankshaft bearing behind them. Side thrust on the valve stems was minimized through the use of finger cam followers.

The Type 57 was the first Bugatti equipped with a transmission fixed to the engine crankcase and a single plate clutch. The four-speed gearbox had constant mesh on the top three gears. The semi-elliptical front setup suspended the hollow tube live axle while reversed quarter-elliptical rear leaf springs were in the back. Cable-operated mechanical drum brakes provided the stopping power.

At the time, the world was in the midst of the Great Depression, soon to be thrust into a war that would halt civilian automobile production, destroy factories, bring about a shortage of raw materials, and bring an end to many legendary automakers. Despite enduring financial shortcomings, the development of the Type 57 continued.

The second-series iteration of the Type 57 was introduced in October of 1936 at the Paris Auto Salon wearing designs by Jean Bugatti and powered by a 3.3-liter dual-overhead-camshaft eight-cylinder installed in a competition-inspired chassis. Along with the second-series Type 57, the Italian company introduced two sporting variants of the model, the Type 57C and the Type 57S.

The Bugatti Type 57C was equipped with a supercharger, thus the 'C' representing 'compressor.' The Roots-type supercharger, driven by the camshaft drive at the rear of the engine, operated at 1.17 times engine speed. The result was a 5-6 psi boost and 160 bhp which - depending on the coachwork - made 120 mph possible.

The Bugatti Type 57S represented 's'urbaissé, or lowered. Although the 57S shared some features with its progenitor, it was virtually a Grand Prix car in touring car guise. The engine received high-compression pistons and a modified crankcase with dry-sump lubrication sourced from the T59 Grand Prix car, including separate scavenge and pressure oil pumps supplied from a 20-liter tank. This meant the high-capacity oil pan was no longer needed. Ignition was by a Scintilla Vertex magneto driven from the left-hand camshaft. With the improvements in place, the engine delivered about 25 more horsepower, and to cope with the increase, the transmission received a reinforced clutch.

Although the mechanical modifications were impressive, it was the low-slung frame design and a shorter wheelbase that provided the fundamental difference between the Type 57S and the standard Type 57. This configuration allowed the rear axle to pass through the frame, and de Ram shock absorbers provided damping, engineered to increase with speed. It used C-channel, gondola-shaped frame rails formed from thinner and lighter material than the Type 57 frame. Due to the lower chassis, the exhaust system used special baffles with a thinner casing and a horizontal row of five small-diameter tailpipes, allowing 10cm of ground clearance.

The vee-shaped radiator gave the Type 57S a distinctive appearance, inspiring some of the most elegant and sporty sculpted designs of the era. Among them was the Jean Bugatti-influenced Atalante Coupe, applied to 17 of the Type 57S chassis. Just 48 examples of the Type 57S chassis were built before the outbreak of hostilities, including two constructed as Type 57SC models, combining the supercharged 200-horsepower engine with the lowered chassis.

Bugatti introduced the Type 57S at the 1935 London Motor Show. The car on display wore fastback Aerolithe coachwork, a style that was eventually refined into the Atlantic coupe. Eventually, three forms of factory coachwork were offered on the Type 57S, including a roadster, the Atalante coupe, or the rare Atlantic coupe. The latter two coupe styles accounted for approximately 20 chassis built through May 1938, when the competition-oriented 57S was quietly discontinued as 57 and 57C road car sales flourished. Coachbuilders who created bodies for the Type 57S include Gangloff, Corsica, Letourneur et Marchand, and Vanvooren of Paris.

Atalante
Chassis number: 57562

Bugatti built 42 of the 57S chassis, but only 17 were delivered with 'Atalante' coachwork. The Atalante was designed by Jean Bugatti himself, and was lauded for its streamlined profile and power, emanating from its straight-8, 3.3-liter dual overhead-camshaft engine. A unique feature of the Type 57S was its solid-appearing front axle which actually split in the center, allowing independent operation. 1937 was also the final year that Bugatti used cable-operated brakes. The engine was a 3.3-liter 16-valve dual overhead cam straight-eight engine featuring a 'V' radiator. The engine produced 170 horsepower. Vehicles fitted with the optional supercharger were called the Type 57SC. The DeRam frictional/hydraulic shock absorbers adjusted to varied road conditions.

This example was delivered in September of 1937 and was one of the last of 17 to be fitted with factory-built black Atalante coupe coachwork. It is possibly the only example finished in this color configuration, as most were either all black or black and red.

This Type 57S Atalante was delivered in September 1937 to the Belgian pilot Gabriel Duhoux. It was sequestered during the war, and then toggled back and forth between Europe and the United States. It passed through the hands of several British owners until it was added to the Seydoux Collection in Paris in 1986. After returning to England, it was exported to the United States in 1993. In 1996, it received a restoration to its original color scheme of black and yellow accents. The car has been shown at the Pebble Beach Concours where it placed second in its class (it was shown again in 2023). In 2005, it was acquired by its current owner.

Many people consider the Type 57S as the ultimate road-going Bugatti.

Atalante by Gangloff
Chassis number: 57532
Engine number: 27S

The production run of the Bugatti Type 57S was brief, as manufacturing costs were excessively high. It shared many of the features of the Type 57, and its differences set it in a league apart. It had a modified crankcase with dual oil pumps and dry sump lubrication. High-compression pistons gave the new engine a significant performance edge and the clutch was reinforced to cope with the extra output. Ignition was by a Scintilla Vertex magneto driven from the left-hand camshaft. The Type 57S had a new low-slung frame on a short wheelbase, the rear axle passing through the frame, while de Ram shock absorbers provided damping cleverly engineered to increase with speed. In the front was a vee-shaped radiator with no less than 46 vertical slats.

This car, chassis number 57532, was tested at the factory in April 1937 and registered on April 28th of that year. It was sent to Gangloff for the coachwork to be fitted. It was given a black livery with tan pigskin upholstery. The car was built for Dr. André ('Charles') Chauvenet who had it for several years. When he suffered an illness in 1938, the car was laid-up, emerging from storage in April 1939 with just 15,000 or so kilometers recorded. The next owner was Dr. Dinoire who intended on transforming it into a race car. The plan was to shorten the chassis, fit a supercharger and update the braking system to Lockheed hydraulics. The coachwork was removed and carefully stored during the war years, however, the racing car project was never proceeded with, and the coachwork was subsequently refitted to the chassis in the garage of M. Arnaud at Niort.

In February 1943, ownership changed to E. Mouche of Paris. In January of 1948, it was in the ownership of celebrity Danish/French singer, songwriter, and composer Georges Ulmer. During one of his trips to the United States, his pregnant wife sold the car, as her doctor advised that it was not a good car for her back.

Raymond Dupont became the owner of the car in December 1951. It was acquired by St. Quentin Brewer, Henri Berlaimont, in March 1952. While in Berlaimont's possession, the car was overhauled by Bugatti specialist Hermanns in Asnieres at the Garage du Pur Sang.

The car was sold in the summer of 1953 to Robert Ford who toured Europe extensively in the car and kept it until his death in 1982. Ownership later passed to Michel Seydoux, who commissioned a restoration for the car. It later joined the collection of Swede Hans Tulin before its acquisition by the present long-term owner in the early 1990s.

In 2009, this car was offered for sale by Bonhams at the Exceptional Motorcars and Automobilia at the Quail Lodge Resort in Carmel, Ca.

by Dan Vaughan

Atlantic
Chassis number: 57473

The Bugatti Atlantic

One of the most elegant and attractive vehicles ever created is the Bugatti Type 57 Atlantic. Bugatti gave the Atlantic its race-inspired engine, short and low chassis, and a body of two halves riveted together. Four examples were created and only two survive in their original condition.

Chassis number 57374 was the first example created and delivered new to Lord Rotschild in London. The car was later upgraded to Type 57 SC specification by adding a supercharger to the engine.

In 1971, the car was purchased at Sotheby's Auction in Los Angeles by Bugatti collector and President of the American Bugatti Club, Dr. Peter Williamson. Dr. Williamson treated the car to a restoration and would remain in his care until his passing in the late 2000s. All of the cars in the collection were entrusted to Gooding & Company for sale. The Atlantic was brokered through a private deal in April 2010. The car was sold for an undisclosed amount, believed to be between $30 - $40 million.

In 2003, the car was shown at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance where it was awarded 'Best of Show.'

Chassis number 57453 was the second of the four Atlantic bodies built by Bugatti. The car was put on display at the 1937 Auto Salon in Nice and its subsequent history is not fully known. It is believed that it was offered to the privateer racer William Grover who had a history of winning prestigious races in Bugattis. The trail ends there and one theory is that the car was dismantled before the start of the War.

Chassis number 57473, the third of the four Atlantics, was completed in October 1936. The car was sold to Mr. and Mrs. Jacques Holzschuch of Paris, and in 1937 it won the Grand Prix d'Honneur at Juan-les-Pins. A short time later, the car was modified (the work believed to have been tasked to Figoni) with the addition of louvers in the door. The car's next caretaker was Bugatti collector Rene Chatard.

Sadly, Chatard and a friend, Janine Vacheron, were killed and the car was seriously damaged when hit by a train in 1955. The car was sequestered by the railway company and only several years later released to a scrap dealer.

A Bugatti collector named Paul-Andre Berson discovered the remains in 1965 and set about a rebuild, using the damaged chassis and right-hand side of the coachwork. Many of the body parts from the left-hand side were distorted and were not able to be used. The original engine was also too badly damaged and difficult to repair. After many years of reconstruction, the 'new' Atlantic was returned to its original glory. The car was owned for many years by Nicolas Seydoux, selling it in 2004 to its current owner.

The current owner had restoration expert Paul Russell rebuild the car using all available remaining original parts. The body panels revealed the car's original grey color, and the leather wrapped around the aluminum dashboard was an indication of the interior trim.

In 2010, the rebuilt car was on display at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. It was certainly the most elegant car and a serious contender for Best in Show honors. Since this car was viewed as a 'replica,' it was not judged. Some entrants felt that its presence on the lawn at Pebble should not have been allowed. All agreed, however, that it is a magnificent work of art and its two-year restoration performed by Russell was exquisite.

Chassis number 57591 was the final Atlantic created, and was completed in 1938. The car is similar to its siblings, with subtle distinguishable details throughout. Since these cars were hand built and there was two years difference between the first and the fourth car, differences are expected. Chassis 57591 has separate headlights; its predecessors are mounted flush with the fenders.

The car's original owner cared for the car for nearly three decades. For the past two decades, Ralph Lauren has owned the car. The car was given a restoration by Paul Russell and in 1990, it was shown at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance where it won 'Best of Show.'

by Dan Vaughan

Atalante by Gangloff
Chassis number: 57532
Engine number: 27S

Ettorre Bugatti began manufacturing cars in Germany in 1909. He was from an Italian family of artists and considered himself a builder as well as an artist. Ettorre's father was a noted Art Nouveau artist, designing beautiful furniture and jewelry. The company had much success in motor racing and a Bugatti won the inaugural Monaco Grand Prix in 1929. In addition to automobiles, Bugatti also experimented with airplanes and rail cars.

The Bugatti Type 57, designed by Ettore Bugatti's talented son, Jean, was built between 1934 and 1940. Most were bodied as Galibier and Ventoux sedans, Stelvio drophead coupes, and later Atalante coupes with coachwork by Bugatti or by Gangloff in nearby Colmar.

This Type 57S coupe by Gangloff was ordered by a young French doctor who fought for the French resistance. The doctor was a child prodigy who entered medical school at 16, became a surgeon and helped organize the French Resistance during World War II. The Type 57S was the most sporting of all the Type 57 models, with its surbaisse (low) race-proven chassis and powerful 3.3-liter engine. This two-seat model was especially fast and caused a sensation on the roads of rural France. The Type 57S was a very rare car ordered by very discriminating customers.

In the 1930s, Bugatti manufactured high-end cars and the 57S was the top of their line. They believed in transferring racing technologies to street cars to be enjoyed by their elite customers. The 57S sported a lowered center of gravity using dry sump lubrication. The 3.3-liter straight eight-cylinder engine is supercharged and produces over 200 horsepower.

17 Atalante Coupes were produced. This car carries a custom body by Gangloff and is presented exactly as it was in 1937. Every detail was researched and preserved utilizing all the parts from the car. The Type 57 represents the best of French pre-war automotive design in performance, styling and leading-edge engineering. It is considered to be one of the most beautiful designs of all time.

This example was recently restored by its current owner, who described it as 'an athlete dressed in a tuxedo.'

Cabriolet by Vanvooren
Chassis number: 57513
Engine number: 21S

Bugatti's second-series iteration of the Type 57 was introduced in October of 1936 at the Paris Auto Salon. The sporty touring car had been designed by Ettore Bugatti's son, Jean, and was powered by a 3.3-liter dual-overhead-cam eight-cylinder engine and installed in a chassis inspired by competition.

Along with the introduction of the second-series Type 57, Bugatti also unveiled the Type 57C and the Type 57S. The 'C' was a supercharged model, with the 'C' representing compressor. The Type 57S had a re-engineered chassis that was both lower and shorter, with the 'S' representing surbaisse, French for 'lowered.'

The Type 57S was given a specially tuned engine featuring a higher compression ratio of 8.5:1. It was given a dry sump to accommodate the lowered center of gravity. It had a magneto-driven ignition and a low-mounted radiator with a V-shaped grille. The rear axle passed through the frame rather than the traditional method of under it, thus allowing a lower stance. The front axle was articulated in halves.

During its first 12 months of racing, the Type 57S claimed three competition victories during the 1936 season, including at the French Grand Prix, La Marne Grand Prix, and the Commings Grand Prix. Its racing prowess would continue to grow during the 1937 season, with victories at the Pau Grand Prix, Bone Grand Prix, La Marne Grand Prix, plus the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

During its racing career, the Type 57S set records on 14 different types of events, including a speed average of 85.07 mph at LeMans.

The factory offered three forms of coachwork: a roadster, the Atalante coupe, or the Atlantic coupe. Around half of the total production were factory bodies, with 22 examples being sold as rolling chassis and dispatched to the buyer's coachbuilder of choice, including Gangloff, Corsica, Letourneur et Marchand, and Vanvooren of Paris.

Cabriolet by Vanvooren

This unique cabriolet is fitted with its original factory-equipped matching-numbers gearbox and engine, mated to its original chassis and body. It was initially sold in early 1937 to Francois Labesse as part of a trade for chassis 57269. (Chassis number 57269 was a four-seat drophead coupe by Vanvooren that Mr. Labesse purchased in May of 1935).

This chassis, number 57513, was completed on March 22nd and shipped by train to Courbevoie where it was given Cabriolet coachwork by Vanvooren. It is one of just four such cabriolets created by Vanvooren on the Type 57S chassis. Currently, three are known to survive, with one example residing in the Schlumpf Collection in Alsace and the other in a collection in the United Kingdom.

This cabriolet was delivered to Labesse's Parisian headquarters through Bugatti's Avenue Montaigne showroom on July 7th of 1937. It is believed that the car had been originally finished in black paint with a thin red line.

Mr. Labesse was chauffeured in 57513 for less than two years before he passed away in early 1939 at the age of 58. In the spring of 1939, his brother-in-law offered the car for sale. At the time, the odometer showed 8,000 kilometers.

Over the next few months, the Type 57S was garaged and maintained by Gaston Docime, a Bugatti expert in Neuilly sur Seine who tended all of Mr. Labesse's cars. It is believed that the car was sold into British ownership during the summer of 1939, as it was registered in Great Britain in June of 1939 with tag FYE 416.

The car's first recorded British owner was Dr. Tomas Harris. In the early 1950s, it was acquired by Jack Lemon Burton. In 1954, it was sold to Ronnie Symondson. Mr. Symondson entered the Bugatti at the BOC Members Testing Weekend at Prescott on March 27th, 1954, achieving a best time of 58.6 seconds. On May 9th, the car took second place in the Bugatti handicap class at the National Hillclimb at Prescott, setting a time of 55.84 seconds.

It may have raced at Silverstone on June 19th, and a day later, it was part of the three-car Bugatti team who raced at Shelsley Walsh. Later in 1957, Symondson used it as a touring car for vacationing through continental Europe. During the trip, the car was sidelined by engine problems. Mr. Symondson had the car sent to the Molsheim factory, where a new cylinder block and pistons were fitted.

After returning to Britain, it is believed that the car was used in further BOC events. Modifications and updates were made to some of the mechanical components, including the addition of Koni shock absorbers and a hydraulic brake system.

T.A. 'Bob' Roberts purchased the car in 1962. In May of 1962, Mr. Roberts took the car to Prescott, and that winter, he performed some cosmetic work on the car, eschewing by then two-tone black over grey-blue paint for a new black over yellow. The bonnet apertures were given plated-steel mesh cooling grilles in place of the original louvered sides. The headlamps may have also been changed at this time, from the original bumper-level faired-in units to the higher bullet-style components currently fitted to the coachwork.

Also during Mr. Roberts's ownership, the original engine (number 21S) was removed and retained as a spare. It was replaced with an unnumbered 57G competition engine that had been an extra for the Bugatti factory team at LeMans in 1937.

After Mr. Roberts' passing in 1990, the Type 57S was offered for sale by his estate. It was displayed at Rétromobile in Paris in February 1991 and sold on June 10th to Claude Decoster. Mr. Decoster drove the Type 57S in several events, including the 1992 International Bugatti Rally in France and the 1994 Bugatti Rally in Italy, where it was displayed on the Piazza San Marco in Venice.

Eventually, Mr. Decoster commissioned Henri Novo to re-install the original factory-equipped motor, which currently resides in the engine bay.

The current caretaker acquired the car in 1995. Recently, the clutch was rebuilt, and the original factory gearbox was refitted.

by Dan Vaughan

Atalante by Gangloff
Chassis number: 57501

The Bugatti Type 57S was built in Molsheim between 1936 and 1938. The 'S' stood for surbaisse, meaning lowered, but the car was, in effect, an entirely new sports car. The new model was an immediate success, although just 43 Type 57S chassis were built by the factory. The high-compression engine was also offered with a Roots supercharger, and only two of these supercharged S chassis were sold by Bugatti (many chassis were later uprated). Known as the Type 57SC, the 'C' represented 'Compresseur' or 'supercharger.' Both the Type 57S and Type 57SC rested on a 117-inch wheelbase platform, and the inline eight-cylinder engine powering the Type 57S delivered 175 horsepower, while the supercharged version delivered 200 hp. The twin-cam engine displaced 3,257cc, was based on the Type 49, and was paired with a four-speed manual gearbox. All four wheels had cable-operated mechanical drum brakes. The Type 57S had its rear axle pass through the rear of the frame, rather than riding under it, allowing it to sit lower to the road.

The Type 57S was available with factory-built Atalante coachwork, but the chassis was often bodied by other coachbuilders.

This example has a coupe body by Gangloff with lines similar to the Atalante. The unique 3-seater was fitted for its first owner, Camille Jourde. The car later spent a short period at the Schlumpf Museum in Mulhouse, France, but then was brought to America. It was last shown at the 2007 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance where it was awarded the coveted French Cup.

Drophead Coupe by Corsica
Chassis number: 57491

The Type 57 was possibly the most successful Bugatti of all time. The chassis was designed around Bugatti's Grand Prix car and the straight-eight engine was exquisitely built with a gear-driven double-overhead-cam that made the Bugatti sing. An optional Roots supercharger was available on the Type 57C, which increased the power from 1935 to 155 horsepower. And in 1937, Bugatti introduced the Type 57S, or Surbaisse, meaning lowered, with a shortened chassis that went through the rear axle and created a much lower center of gravity and, therefore, better handling. The S was fitted with a high-performance 3.3-liter 8-cylinder engine producing 170 horsepower unsupercharged and over 200 horsepower in supercharged form.

This 57S was bodied by Corsica Coachworks of London for T.A.S.O. Mathieson, a wealthy amateur racer, who used it as a road car in 1938 before fitting lighter, cycle-winged, racing coachwork. After a not-terribly-successful period of racing, 'Taso' reinstated the original Corsica body and again used her as a fast road car. This is one of the very few Type 57Ss to be raced and is one of only four open Type 57s bodied by Corsica that retains its original engine, drivetrain, and body.

Cabriolet by Vanvooren
Chassis number: 57513
Engine number: 21S

Bugatti made just 42 Type 57S chassis and only four were given this Vanvooren bodywork. Three still exist today. The 57S (S indicating surbaisse or lowered) was developed as a sporting version of Jean Bugatti's Type 57. With a 3.3-liter DOHC in-line eight-cylinder engine and four-speed manual transmission on a competition-inspired chassis, the 57S was a natural-born racer. The 57S claimed three Grand Prix victories in 1936 and four in 1937 plus Le Mans. It also set various speed records, including a speed average of 85.07 mph at Le Mans. This truly extraordinary example has been owned by several Bugatti devotees throughout its lifetime. As a result, it bears its original engine, transmission, rear end, body, and fenders.

Open Sports by Corsica
Chassis number: 57503

The Bugatti Type 57S has racing heritage, sophistication, and rarity, with only 42 chassis produced. This example of the prewar supercar was ordered by shipping magnate Robert Ropner, who commissioned Corsica Coachworks to build a sporting four-seater open tourer body. The car was delivered in February 1937, in black paint with cream leather. It was eventually acquired by Bill Turnbull in 1969, who commenced a restoration but never completed it. When the current owner acquired the Bugatti, it was still dismantled in dry storage - the body was original and in good condition, and large areas of the original black paint were still extant. Certain discoveries, such as lightening holes along the length of the chassis, suggest the car may have been raced. The current owner has had this 1937 Bugatti fully and painstakingly restored to its former glory.

Many manufacturers during this time produced multi-purpose vehicles that could be driven to a race track, raced, and then driven home. The Bugatti Type 57, however, was solely a road-going vehicle and is considered the most celebrated non-racing Bugatti. Even though the Type 57 was strictly a road-going vehicle, a racing version was created for the 1937 24-Hours of Le Man's race. This vehicle, based on the Type 57S chassis and named the 57G, won the race. A supercharged version was created for the 1939 Le Man's race and was victorious. This is the legacy of the Bugatti heritage and the quality and innovative designs that were truly masterpieces in all respects.

In 1934, the Type 57C entered the scene, a project headed by Jean Bugatti, the son of Ettore Bugatti. The vehicle centered around refinement while focusing on the values that had made Bugatti successful.

Three 'factory' bodies were available and consisted of the Ventoux, a two-window and four-window version, the Stelvio, and the Atalante. All of the Atalante bodies were produced in-house. The Atalante was named after peaks in the Alps and is one of the most exclusive body styles ever produced by Bugatti.

The Type 57 could also be ordered with Galibier four-door bodies. Earlier versions of the Galibier bodies had suicide-opening front doors with no pillar. Later versions had suicide-opening front and rear doors hung in the traditional fashion. The front and rear doors would share a common pillar.

Jean designed an independent front suspension to aid in the handling of the vehicle. This was not popular with Ettore Bugatti and had the traditional Bugatti front axle installed.

A 3.3 liter, twin-cam, straight-eight engine was used to power this vehicle. Even with the heavy saloon bodies, the engine could propel the vehicle to a speed of around 95 mph. A Roots-type supercharger was later added and the vehicle was given the designation 57C. The supercharger was quiet and provided between three to four pounds of boost pressure. The addition of the supercharger increased the horsepower rating to 175.

The Type 57S version was a 'sportier' version of the Type 57. The chassis was shorter, with the rear axle running through the frame. A slightly tuned engine with higher compression and dry-sump lubrication helped increase the car's performance. The front and rear axles received de Ram shock absorbers, replacing the Hartford Friction dampers.

The Type 57SC was a combination of the 57C and 57S. The engine produced between 200 and 220 horsepower.

On August 11, 1939, while testing a Type 57C tank-bodied racer near Molsheim, Jean Bugatti was killed. This was the same day as the start of the 2nd World War, which inevitably meant that the race Jean was preparing the vehicle for would never be run.

by Dan Vaughan

Ettore Arco Isidoro Bugatti was born in Milan, Italy in 1881. His father, Carlo, was a furniture designer of some fame. The father's brother, Rembrandt, was a gifted sculptor of animals. When he was old enough, Ettore attended the Brera Academy of Art where he studied sculpture. Soon, he turned his attention to mechanical endeavors.

The first Bugatti motor car was built in 1899 though the first vehicle to bear his name was the Type 13 of 1910. Power came from a four-cylinder, eight-valve engine. The 1913 the radiators became more rounded and in the shape of a horse shoe.

The company's first eight-cylinder engine production car was introduced in 1922 and dubbed the Type 30. The engine had a single overhead camshaft and displaced two liters. The car had a drum brakes, solid axles and leaf springs on all four corners.

The Type 35 in all sequences, the A, B, C, and T, were some of Bugatti's early examples that made the marque famous. The Type 57 introduced in 1934 and continued in production until 1940. They were powered by a 3257cc straight-eight engine with double overhead camshafts that produced between 130 and 140 horsepower. There were four road-going versions of the 57 and these were the Type 57, Type 57C, Type 57S, and Type 57SC. The Type 57C was a supercharged version while the Type 57S was a sporty version based on a short and lower wheelbase. The Type 57SC was a combination of the 57S and 57C. A variety of body-styles were offered throughout the years.

The engine rested in a ladder-type frame and matted to a four-speed manual gearbox. The front had a tubular axle with the suspension comprised of longitudinally mounted semi-elliptic leaf springs. The rear axle was suspended in place by a pair of quarter-elliptic leaf springs. The early versions of the vehicle had cable-operated drums on all four wheels. Later versions were upgraded with Lockheed hydraulic brakes with twin master cylinder, which first appeared in 1938.

The Type 57 and its variants were intended for road going use. However, many made their way onto the racing circuit. Lord Howe drove a Type 57 to a third place finish in the 1935 Tourist Trophy. A Type 57G won the Monthlhery and Reims race in 1936. In 1937, Jean-Pierre Wimille and Robert Benoist drove a Bugatti to victory at LeMans.

Many of the cars were clothed by prominent coachbuilders such as Figoni, Van Vooren, Corsica, and James Young. Most of the chassis were bodied by the factory with coachwork in the style of Jean Buggatti. The catalog bodies included two versions of the Ventoux Coupe, the Galibier four-door sedan, the Stelvio cabriolet, Atalante, and Atlantic. The Atlantic and Atalante were constructed in two-door coupe configuration. Gangloff, a Swiss coachbuilder, was tasked with clothing most of the factory bodies.

by Dan Vaughan